Follow the Leader
by Pineapple Girl
Summary: The Owsla go on a raid to the Handale farm, but what happens when someone unexpected follows them back home?


Follow the Leader  
  
Author's note: This story is based on the book Watership Down by Richard Adams. I do not own the concepts in this story that are found in the book. I do, however, own all the characters within this story as they are a product from my own mind.  
  
Storm turned and faced her opponent. Even though the buck was bigger then herself, she was determined to defeat him. She charged the buck at full speed, and then with a mighty leap, she sprang upon him. Storm collided with the buck's chest, trying to pin him to the ground. . only to find herself flying backwards due to the recoil. The small doe skidded across the dew soaked grass and came to a stop many feet from the larger buck. With a groan she sat up and shook the grass from her grey fur. She was about to make another lunge for him when she heard Apple's voice.  
  
"No, no, no! That's not how you pin someone, Storm!" With a frustrated shake of his head he made his way over to the tiny doe. "Now watch," he said when he was at her side, "this is how you pin someone." He turned and faced the opponent, "Get ready Bramble!" He called.  
  
Like Storm, he charged Bramble and leaped upon him. The only difference being is that unlike Storm, he was actually able to pin Bramble to the ground with his weight. Apple, on all fours, stood triumphantly on the buck.  
  
He then turned back to Storm and called out to her, "Did you get all that Storm?"  
  
"Yes Captain Apple!"  
  
"Alright. Now listen, once you have your opponent under you, you--"  
  
"Cuff him! Like this!" Bramble quipped as he took a swing at the back of Apple's head.  
  
"Why you dirty little--" Apple growled whipping his head back around.  
  
"Then you bite them, like this!" He took one of the captain's ears and proceeded to bite and tug. "After that," he continued with his mouth still full of ear, "you try and throw your opponent off you. Like this." With a kick of his hind legs he sent Apple flying.  
  
"I'm warning you Bramble," Apple hissed as he tried to get up, "you do that again and I'll--"  
  
"And once you've got them down you pounce on them like a cat!" Apple soon found himself flat on the ground with Bramble on top. "Then," he said with a smirk, "you beat your opponent into submission!" Apple gritted his teeth angrily as a barrage of cuffs came down on his head. With a hop Bramble dismounted his captain and faced his mate, "and that's all there is too it! Pretty easy, isn't it?"  
  
Storm nodded her head wildly with pleasure, trying to keep herself from laughing. Free from the onslaught of attacks Apple got up from the ground and faced Bramble. With teeth bared he charged him. With a squeal of surprise Bramble shot off into the clearing with an enraged Apple close behind. Storm was continuing to watch the two race about when Snowfoot walked up to her.  
  
The snow colored buck watched as his captain dove for Bramble, pinning him to the ground and cuffing him repeatedly. "What did he do?"  
  
"Nothing really, he just went and showed me how to attack someone if needed."  
  
"Oh. And I suppose Apple was used to help demonstrate the attacks?"  
  
"Yes," she said brightly, "he did very well at taking those hits."  
  
"I see."  
  
Apple, upon seeing Snowfoot, stopped beating the insolent buck. Much to Bramble's relief, Apple got off of him and made his way back. The irate Apple was in front followed by a very scratched up Bramble, who made it a point to keep his distance. Once there the two sat down, both very far apart. Then Apple spoke gruffly, "Well, what did Chestnut-rah want?"  
  
"He wanted us to go and make a raid on the farm house." Replied Snowfoot.  
  
"Very well," said the captain, "Bramble, Snowfoot-lets go."  
  
"Wait," said Snowfoot, "Storm has to go along with us."  
  
Apple sighed impatiently, "And why is that?"  
  
"Well, with Zorn here now we'll have to bring back more flayrah. So that means we'll need one more carrier."  
  
The captain's left ear drooped slightly, giving him a perplexed expression, "You're joking. Right?"  
  
"No. It's unwise to make two raids in the same day. So she'll have to come along so we can get the flayrah back in one trip."  
  
Apple looked over at the grey doe. She was hopping about like a grasshopper, thrilled to death that she was finally going on a raid. He twitched slightly; his heart was already beginning to fill with misgivings. But they had no other options. Storm was going to have to go along with them.  
  
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Awhile later the Owsla found themselves in front of the Handale farm. They sat silently in the tall grass by the dirt road that ran in front of the house. The four of them were about to make their way across when Snowfoot's ears picked up an approaching sound. He stepped out a little way onto the road and looked to the left.  
He motioned for the others to stay put, then he himself returned to the grass. They waited, yet nothing happened. Storm was about to ask why they were just sitting there when suddenly noise filled the air. In a matter seconds a large wagon being pulled by a draft horse made its way up the road. Storm squealed in fright as the wagon passed them and disappeared from view  
  
"Keep quiet!" Hissed Apple in a whisper, "Do you want them to find out that we're here?"  
  
"But-but, what was that thing!?" squeaked Strom in terror.  
  
Snowfoot sighed, "It's like a hrududu but not quite. Now," he said as he peered out onto the road one more time, making sure the coast was clear, "Let's get going."  
  
The four of them made their way across the road. They steered clear of the main entrance and instead clambered down into a small overgrown ditch along the side of the road.  
  
Hopping along Storm looked back at the entrance and asked, "Why don't we just go through there? It looks much easier."  
  
"Because," said Snowfoot as he led the group further on, "It's nothing but wide open space out in the front and elil tend to wander around there the most. We're going in the back way."  
  
Some time later, after making it halfway through the ditch, Snowfoot came to a stop. He stood on his hind legs then quickly lowered himself. He paused for a moment more and sniffed the wind, trying to detect anything dangerous.  
  
He then turned to his companions and said, "We made it to the back door, now lets go in."  
  
With a powerful hop Snowfoot found himself out of the ditch. Apple followed and then came Bramble. Finally it was Storm's turn, but she encountered a small problem. Regardless of how high she jumped she could never make it out. She hopped and bound about trying to make it up and over, even trying to climb up the side of the ditch. But it was to no avail.  
Bramble watched the tips of his mate's ears as the appeared over the ditch and sink back under. He watched as the grey ears went this way and that still going up and down as they went. With a sigh Bramble scurried back down into the ditch. With his head positioned under Storm's soft belly he began to push. With a mighty heave he shoved the doe up and over the ditch, and then he himself climbed out.  
The two joined the rest of the Owsla and then set off with Snowfoot in the lead. They went slowly and silently across the grass, sometimes stopping when they heard a sudden sound. As they went along they came across a large pen. Snowfoot squeezed underneath the gap-railed fence and motioned for the others to follow.  
The three bucks were making their way through the pen but Storm, who had never been in such a place before, sat and took in all the new sights and sounds. She stood gaping at the odd things inside the pen such as the large mud puddle and the strange metal object that sat alongside the fence. Not seeing anything that could be a danger to her, she made her way to the lustrous object.  
She went over to it, sniffing it, tasting it, trying to determine what it was. She got up on her hind legs and leaned against the object's side. She peered inside and to her delight found it full of food. With a hard kick she made it over the edge of the trough and inside.  
The concave container was full of vegetables: Cabbage, carrots, lettuce, and potatoes. She frisked about wondering what she would take back to the warren. After much searching and shifting she came upon a huge chunk of potato. Clamping it firmly in her mouth she stood and made way to exit.  
She then noticed that all was not right. Her three companions were sitting on the other side of the fence horrified. Once she caught their gaze she noticed them motioning to something and mouthing words to her that she could not decipher. She looked to her right and saw what had made the bucks so fearful. The mud puddle was moving.  
It shifted about, mud flying in all direction. In the next instant a large beast rose up from its depths. Storm watched, completely stunned, as the creature lumbered its way over in her direction. The beast was huge, by far the biggest animal she'd ever seen. It walked lazily about on its four hooves, its snout sniffing about for food. The gigantic creature was drawing closer, snorting and grunting as it went.  
The doe burrowed into the food, covering herself completely. She held her breath when she heard the grunting beast approach. The next sound that filled her ears was that of the creature noisily chewing its food. The cabbage around her moved about and disappeared all together as it was gulped down.  
With no covering on either of her sides and the potatoes on top disappearing fast, the doe had no choice but to lash out or be eaten herself. As the beast went down to devour her she cuffed him sharply on his snout. The gargantuan animal squealed in pain and shrank back shaking its head wildly. Angered, the beast set its sights on the inflictor of the damage. With an enraged grunt it charged.  
Storm sprang out of the trough just as the creature crashed into it. Food was sprayed into the air as the metal trough tipped over. It turned and charged again. Storm ran for her life as the monstrous animal drew closer. She dove under the fence just as the creature was about to trample her flat. Storm, panic-stricken, refused to stop running even when she heard the sound of the large beast slamming its head against the fence as it tried to stop itself. Nor did she stop when she came to the others, but kept going.  
The others tried desperately to catch up with the frightened Storm as she ran across the farm yard and into a chicken yard. Storm kept running, blinded by fear, and did not stop until she rammed head on into something. Shaking her throbbing head, the doe looked to see what she hit. To her horror, saw it was a large barrel-a large barrel set into motion by the sudden impact.  
She leapt clear of the wooden mass just as it crashed down, but found herself drenched by its contents: Chicken feed. In a flash she was surrounded by the coop's residents, all pecking and poking at her trying to get at the food. Storm squealed as the sharp beaks jabbed her soft body and tried to fend off her attackers. The remaining Owsla members arrived at the scene to find the little doe cuffing and biting the large birds who responded with swift kicks and forceful wing-slaps. Fearing for the doe's life the three joined the fray. After several intense minutes of biting, clawing, scratching, pecking, and kicking they were able to make the flock back off enough to escape.  
  
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"What are you trying to do? Get yourself killed!?" Apple yelled in a whisper. Storm knew that if he didn't fear being heard he would have been screaming at her at the top of his lungs. "What were you thinking!? You know better then to do something like that!" Storm sat small and cowering before the awesome might that was Apple. Her mate was by her side licking her wounds and trying to get the feed out of her fur. "You could have gotten yourself killed, or worse yet, got one of us killed! Look at these scratch marks, look at these tears! What were you thinking when you did that?"  
  
"The chicken feed was an accident Apple, she didn't mean to knock it over." Said Bramble as he finished up with her wounds and started tending to his own.  
  
Apple growled angrily, he did have a point there, "Fine. But that's no excuse for what happened in the pig pen. What is it with you and inspecting every little thing you come across? You simply don't go wallowing in a pig's food! How foolish are you!?"  
  
"I'm sorry Captain Apple."  
  
"Well, you should be after all that," he said acidly, "Snowfoot, can we head on over to the garden now?"  
  
"Yes," he said licking his paw, "There's nothing in sight. It's safe."  
  
The four went to the garden without further incidence. Once there however, they found themselves faced with another little problem: The gate to the garden was shut and the rest of the garden was surrounded with fence. Snowfoot sighed when faced with this new predicament. The last few times they'd been on a raid the gate had been wide open. They walked right in and walked right out with no problems at all. He scurried around the perimeter in hopes of finding a small gap in the white wooden fence but found none. He went back and reported that they would have to start digging.  
Apple volunteered Storm to do the work as he and the rest of them sat back and kept a look out. The doe did her work swiftly and efficiently. This was the only thing she excelled at-the rest she just seemed to blunder in. In a short time she made a hole deep enough and big enough to slip the large bucks through.  
The garden itself was a beautiful sight to behold. Rows upon rows of neatly lined vegetables stood before them. There were cabbages, turnips, carrots, sweet peas, and a wide variety of other delicious food, all fresh and crisp and ready to be eaten. With instructions from Snowfoot they set about the task of taking the food back to the warren.  
They did their work quickly, for fear of being seen. They dug, pulled, pushed, and bit the vegetables, freeing them from the ground and vines. They then filled their mouths with as much as they could carry: Snowfoot had some lettuce, Apple was carrying a few pea pods, Bramble had half of a turnip, and Storm-well Storm was carrying a full sized carrot.  
All was going well and they were about ready to depart when they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. John Handale's wife had come out to tend to her garden, her straw sun hat shown clearly over the white gate. Knowing death would befall them if they were caught, the Owsla made a mad dash down the hole and under the fence. The angry cries over her ruined garden spurred them on faster.  
So intense was the wife's fury and so booming was her voice that Snowfoot decided that it would be best if they left the farm as quickly as possible. The three bucks dashed out the main entrance not daring to look back. They disappeared into the long grass and out of sight.  
  
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Storm, meanwhile, was having difficulties. It was impossible for her to run with the carrot in her mouth, and she was now dragging it along trying to catch up. She paused and looked for her companions. They were no where to be seen. She drug the enormous carrot further across the yard, paused, and looked again. Still nothing.  
Storm continued dragging the massive carrot with her front teeth. All the while she called out in vain to her fellow Owsla members. She was beginning to get frightened. Surely, she thought, they wouldn't leave me all alone on this huge farm.Not with all the cats.and dogs.and men with guns. . .Would they? In desperation she called louder then before hoping her team would come to her rescue. Unfortunately they failed to hear her cries. Something else, however, did.  
  
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A dog with a dappled grey coat and black ears lay on the porch of the Handale's house. The dog, which had the misfortune of being named Waggle, was in a rather sulky mood. Waggle simply couldn't believe it; his master had gone on a hunting expedition without him! He always went out on huntings with his master, always! But not this time; this time he'd taken his two other dogs: Sean and Digger.  
Waggle thought, perhaps, that his master was out of his mind when he chose the other two over him. It made no sense at all really. He, Waggle, who was sired by the two finest hunting dogs in these parts, the biggest and best of his litter, the eternally loyal hound who had been at his master side for twelve years had been replaced by a stupid mutt and a smart- aleck Labrador. How dare he, how dare his master replace him! For it was he who tirelessly searched for the perfect prey for his master, it was he who went forth and retrieved the fallen animal, it was he who once fought off an enraged deer to defend his beloved master and for what? To get left behind and have a couple of greenhorn pups handle all the work, that's what!  
The mere thought of all this irked him so badly that he paced about the porch growling and muttering to himself, ready to bite anything that so much as looked at him the wrong way. As he was doing all this Sean and Digger emerged from the front door.  
  
With a smug grin on his face Sean said in a mock tone, "Aw, what's the matter Waggle? Still mad about being left behind? Poor little puppy."  
  
"Yeah," chimed in Digger, "Our master was probably too embarrassed to be seen with a dog with a name like yours! Waggle. What sort of a name is that? At least we have respectable decent names."  
  
"Or perhaps it's the fact that you're no longer of use that made our master leave you here. You think so Waggle?"  
  
Waggle had, at this time, whipped himself around and faced the other two. He was bristling and snarling and looking as if he were about ready to kill them. He was so enraged by their comments that he was unable to retort.  
  
Sean, seeing the old hound's fury, continued to jeer, "Face it Waggle. You're past your prime; the master doesn't want some old senile dog who can barely make his way around the farm. He wants young vibrant dogs who can do their work efficiently. And you no longer fit the bill, where as me and Digger, do. Which is apparent by our kill."  
  
"You did see our kill didn't you Waggle?" Sneered Digger, "That elk that we drug in? You know, the one with that mighty rack of antlers, and large build? It certainly was more impressive then anything you've ever brought in."  
  
"Yes, it certainly is. Why, I bet you couldn't even catch a measly little old rabbit anymore."  
  
"I could too!" Yelled Waggle in rage.  
  
"Really? I bet you can't catch that squealing rabbit out near the front of the road."  
  
"What rabbit?" exclaimed Waggle looking around.  
  
"My, my, now were going deaf and blind as well. This won't do at all." said Sean with a disdainful snort. He went to the grey dog's side and pointed, "That tiny grey rabbit with the carrot that's screaming her head off."  
  
Waggle strained his eyes. He was barely able to make out the miniscule grey dot in the distance. "That pathetic little thing? I could take it down in an instant!" With that he got up and started to make his way over, "Now I'll show you boys how it's really done!"  
  
The canines watched as their elder made his way across the yard. Digger was snickering in the background, his eyes welling up with tears. Sean wore an amused grin on his face, his body shook as he tried to contain his laughter. They both made themselves comfortable and waited for the show to begin. This, they thought, was going to be a barrel of laughs.  
  
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Storm was still calling out to her Owsla; they must have heard her by now! She continued doing so until she caught wind of something sinister. She stopped her crying and glanced about, what could that smell be? From the corner of her eye she saw the owner of the scent: A large grey dog was making its way over to her. Her heart began hammering in her chest. She had never encountered a dog before and was unsure what to do. Was she to flee, fight, or stay where she was? Fighting was clearly not an option. She couldn't even knock down her own mate and this brute was much larger then he was! The dog was gingerly walking along, perhaps out for a stroll. If she held still he might overlook her, or maybe even mistake her for a rock she thought. She held her breath, trying to keep her body from making the slightest movement. She watched as the dog continued on its way. As it inched ever closer Storm found herself saying over and over in her mind:  
  
"I'm a rock, I'm a rock, I'm a rock, I'm a rock, I'm a little grey rock that you're not going to pay any attention to, I'm a rock, a rock, an insignificant rock, I'm a rock, I'm a rock, I'm a rock."  
  
Despite her hopeful thinking Storm soon found herself in mortal danger. The dog had suddenly broke out into a run, teeth bared and all. Abandoning her carrot Storm raced out of the farm yard and across the road with Waggle in hot pursuit. The two dashed about the forest. The rabbit, though very small and frail, was incredibly fast. She was so quick that Waggle could barely keep up with her. "This," thought Waggle as he panted and heaved, "was so much easier before.but I shall not be out run by a little rabbit!" With that he doubled his efforts coming within paces of his prey. He opened his mouth wide and made a lunge but instead of tasting flesh all he got was a mouthful of dirt as he plowed head first into the ground. The plucky little rabbit had made a sudden turn evading capture. Waggle refused to stop even for a second, he continued going even though he almost tripped over himself. He coughed and spat out the wet earth and ran on. "That rabbit was really in for it now! Just wait until I catch it." Running at break-neck speeds made the woods around them blur together. Storm was still managing to stay ahead but just barely; luckily, it was not far to the warren. Kicking up wind-blown leaves Storm and the hound bound further along. Looking ahead the doe saw a fallen tree that had snagged on the branches of others. Being so small Storm was able to pass easily under. Waggle wasn't so lucky. He reeled back from the sudden blow. The wind was knocked out of him and he stumbled to the ground. But, determined to prove his worth, rose almost instantly and leaped over the obstruction. He caught sight of his prey in the distance, and dashed madly after her. He was determined not to lose her! Taking long powerful strides he entered the clearing. . just in time to see a grey blur dart below ground. He came to a screeching halt and stood aghast. This couldn't possibly be happening, he had lost his quarry! He had never missed a kill before, maybe the others were right. . No! He wouldn't believe that! But what was he to do now? He couldn't go back empty handed; those flea-bitten mongrels would never let him hear the end of it. Shoot! If only he had captured that rabbit sooner, then it wouldn't have went down that hole and-Hey, wait a minute. Sudden realization had spoken to him. "Of course, how stupid I am!" He thought to himself as he walk to the warren's entrance, "I can't believe I've already forgotten my field training, how blind I am! Rabbits live in holes in the ground, in groups. So where there's one rabbit there must be more! All I have to do is dig them out. Oh boy, there must be thousands upon thousands of rabbits down there!" He chuckled evilly as he wandered into his fantasies. He could see it all now: He would flush out the rabbits and slay every one of them. He would then load the lop-eared bodies onto his back; the pile would reach to the sky of course. He would then take them back to his master's house. His master would be inside enjoying his freshly caught elk while Sean and Digger lounged around the table eating scraps. He would bark loudly on his arrival and his master would come out to greet him. Once he laid eyes upon the enormous mound of rabbits he would exclaim:  
  
"Why Waggle! Did you catch all these rabbits all by your lonesome? You talented dog! A thousand dead rabbits surpass an elk by far. Come in, come in and make yourself at home, my wonderful dog!"  
  
He would then be lead inside the warm house. Sean and Digger's eyes would be as huge as saucers when they got a look at his kills. They would stand there dumbfound as the rabbits were unloaded onto the kitchen table. His master would then skin and eat them. His master would then say to the other two:  
  
"You worthless lazy curs, get out of my sight! Out, out, the both of you! This house is only for hounds that make the best kill!"  
  
Sean and Digger would leave the house cringing. They would remain out in the barn for the rest of their days. He, in the meantime, would be treated to a warm fireplace and a steak. He would be his master's pride and joy. He would never again be left behind during a hunt! He would be treated like royalty while the other two withered away forgotten by all. He slowly returned to reality, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Yes, he would do it! Even if it took all night he would do it. To see the look on the other two's faces would be well worth the effort. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I can't believe we left her behind!" Bramble said frantically.  
  
"Clam down, calm down! I'm sure she's fine. Storm is very resourceful, nothing bad has happened to her." reassured Snowfoot as Bramble made his way to the entrance.  
  
"But she's so small and fragile, and wondering where we are, scared to death. And there are cats on that farm and much worse! She's probably already been eaten.That's it I'm going to look for her!" He made to leave the hole but was restrained by Snowfoot.  
  
"Now wait a minute! We can't just go running out there. Let's wait for Apple then we can get going!"  
  
Apple came up the run talking to Chestnut-rah over his shoulder, "We'll be back as soon as we can!" He turned to the others and said, "Lets get a move on!"  
  
Snowfoot took the lead and made his way up the entrance. Seconds later he was knocked back into the other bucks. Whatever had hit him was now trying to scramble over his body crying loudly. It scratched and kicked as it was making its way off of him. With a heave Snowfoot had it pinned under his forelegs.  
  
"Storm!" cried Bramble in joy when he spied his mate.  
  
"What happened? Are you alright?" Asked Snowfoot as the little doe thrashed wildly about.  
  
"Dog! Dog! Big dog, big dog with big teeth! Chased me all the way here! Big teeth!" screamed Storm in panic.  
  
"Settle down!" said Snowfoot as he put his full weight on the doe immobilizing her. "Now, tell us what happened." By now the entire warren had filed out into the main run wondering what all the commotion was about.  
  
"No time! He's still out there! I know he is! Big, big grey dog with huge teeth and scary looking eyes! He's going to gobble us up, we're doomed!" She shrieked in terror.  
  
Apple edged his way to the entrance and looked out. Sure enough, Waggle was heading straight for them. He hopped back to the mass and informed them of the approaching danger. At once the whole warren burst out in frantic cries.  
  
"Keep quiet!" commanded Chestnut-rah, "Do you want the dog to hear you? Keep still and silent and maybe he'll leave us alone!"  
  
The rabbits flattened themselves on the ground and remained motionless. The only sound that was barely audible was their breathing. They waited like this in the dark for many moments as Waggle drew ever near. They shut their eyes tight as they caught his scent at the entrance and prayed to Frith he would leave. But Waggle was not to be fooled so easily, he could smell the wretched creatures down below and started to dig.  
Eyes wide with horror they witnessed his dapple paws coming in and sweeping out all the dirt. Dust filled the run as the entrance grew wider. Their leader quickly beckoned them out of the main run. They followed him silently out and through the connecting tunnels. The digging caused echoes to bounce off the walls and made the roof shake from its force, sending chunks of dirt down on their heads.  
Chestnut-rah took them through a very long tunnel leading to a back entrance many feet away from the main one. Once there he ushered them out one by one and told them to make their way into the dense forest as quickly as possible. The first one he sent was Snowfoot, but that turned out to be a grave error.  
Waggle knew that something was afoot. Their scent was not as strong as it had been minutes ago. The lot of them must have moved. Pausing from his work he looked up and surveyed the area. Looking out near the edge of the forest he spied Snowfoot's gleaming white coat. In a flash he was on them, barking and growling like mad. Snowfoot dove back down, slamming directly into Ember. Getting up, the two followed the others into a burrow.  
Judging by how quickly the dog had rushed him, Snowfoot made it clear that they should not try that again. Not being able to leave their warren left very few options for them. It was then suggested by Apple that they go out and chase him off. Chestnut-rah sent the Owsla out (minus Storm) with his blessing and silently waited for their return.  
And return they did. But, alas, they were not victorious. The three came back down shortly after they departed battered and bruised but no worse the ware. They said the dog was very persistent and ferocious. They recounted how they left the back run and charged the dog head on but the dog was ready for them. He leaped clear of them and spun back around yapping and biting.  
Apple then lunged at him and sank his teeth into his leg. The grey hound yelped in pain and kicked Apple off sending him flying across the ground. Bramble then went in for another attack but missed and got a nasty scratch down his backside. Snowfoot sank his teeth into the previously made wound making it all the worse. The dog had spun around and tried to snap at him but he leaped clear just in time, kicking the dog in the face as he went.  
It went on like this for several more minutes. More clawing, more kicking, more biting, more of everything. But it was just too much for the three of them alone to handle so they were forced to retreat. Their options for survival had now dwindled down to one.  
  
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"But I can't do it!"  
  
"Oh yes you can. You're in the Owsla, remember? You can handle it!"  
  
"Are you sure this is a good idea Bramble?"  
  
"But what if he catches me?" "He won't."  
  
"This is Storm were talking about."  
  
"I have to agree with Chestnut-rah on this one Bramble. She is awfully small. It would be no trouble at all for that dog to eat her up."  
  
"Isn't their some other way we could handle this?"  
  
"I'm afraid not. This is our last chance."  
  
"Couldn't someone else--"  
  
"Yes, please choose someone else Bramble. This is your mate we're talking about. You don't want to lose her, do you?"  
  
"No. She's the swiftest one here. Now get going, Storm we don't have much time."  
  
"Please reconsider! Chestnut-rah, can't you stop it?"  
  
"I would if we had any other way.but."  
  
"She'll die out there! We can't send her off!"  
  
"Oh for Frith's sake have some faith in her!"  
  
"But Bramble, I can't--"  
  
"Now, good luck! And remember; be cunning and full of tricks!"  
  
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Storm had slipped out another entrance undetected and was now huddled in the grass. She shook with fright and glanced at the entrance. From inside she saw her chief mouth to her "Go on." She took a deep breath hoping to calm her nerves. She hesitated, watching as the dirt from the excavation fly in every direction, and then said in the loudest voice possible: "HEY, YOU EMBLEER ELIL, I'M OVER HERE!"  
Waggle, who had half his body down the tunnel entrance, quickly withdrew himself. He shook his dirt covered coat and looked for the owner of the voice. Seeing that she caught his attention, Storm continued to heckle him in a shaky voice, "I'm right over here you dumb dog," she jumped about making her presence clearly known, "You're so slow it's pathetic! I know slugs that are faster then you!"  
Waggle shook with cold fury. Seeing this she continued with a slight trace of fear in her voice, "I seem to have struck a nerve. If you think you're so quick, why don't you catch me!? Come on you big ugly brute, follow the leader!" With that she took off down the clearing as fast as lightning. Waggle, barking in a fit of rage, abandoned the warren and took off after her.  
  
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Storm emerged from the woodland first with Waggle close behind. She hurried across the road without so much as a glance to see if another wagon was coming. She sprang through the farm entrance with the sound of the dog's footsteps still in her ears. She dashed about in all directions looking for a way to ensure that the dog would not be coming back to the warren.  
She went on running around aimlessly, still not sure what to do. After weaving this way and that, trying to avoid the canine's teeth, she made a beeline for the garden. She was still thinking of some sort of plan as the white fence posts came into view. As they neared, she noticed that the garden gate was standing wide open. A sudden idea came to her. With a devious grin she banked hard to the right. Hopefully, her means of trapping the hound would not be blocked.  
Waggle was drawing closer. He could tell the rabbit was beginning to tire; victory was now in his grasp! However, to his shock, the little doe suddenly slipped down a hole that was under the garden fence. Waggle's mind was set entirely on catching the rabbit. So, without thinking, he dove right in after her.  
Storm was wide-eyed and panting but in all very pleased with herself. The idiotic mongrel had driven his head down the hole in hopes of grabbing her. Unfortunately, he missed and now had his head stuck between the hole and the fence unable to free himself. Waggle, though gasping for breath, barked many curses and threats to the tiny rabbit but she paid him no heed. With him no longer a threat, Storm turned and started out of the garden with her head held high.  
  
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"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Sneered Digger as he and Sean walked nonchalantly up to the trapped Waggle.  
  
"Digger? Sean? Is that you? Quick, help me out of here, I'm stuck!"  
  
"And how did this happen?" asked Sean with a sadistic laugh.  
  
"I was chasing that rabbit from this morning and it went down this blasted hole! I followed but got stuck!"  
  
Laughter erupted from the other side of the fence. After some time Sean managed to say through his hysterical laughing, "You were out-foxed by a rabbit!? Oh, oh my! (Hah-hah!) Our master is going to throw a fit when he finds this out!"  
  
"You really have lost your touch Waggle! You-you (hah-hah-hah!) don't even have the right to call yourself a dog anymore!" Digger burst out into a fit of giggles and then continued, "Come on Sean, let's show him how a true dog catches a rabbit!" The two departed in search of Storm, leaving Waggle to struggle.  
  
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Storm was making her way to the road when she heard in the distance the cries of "Look! There she is!" and "Quick, let's catch her before she goes off into the forest!" She turned and saw a massive black Labrador and a tan and brown mutt charging her. Not wanting to lead two more dogs to her home she did an about-face and bolted straight ahead.  
Storm was winded from her last run with Waggle and losing ground quickly. The others were much faster then the first and were catching up. The hounds were so close that Storm could hear them breathing. She needed a way out of this and fast! By chance the three had made their way to their chicken yard and it was there that Storm got her next idea.  
The white-feathered birds flew up and out of the way as the three crossed the yard. Storm was still ahead, but not by much. They passed the coops and came to the barrel of feed. Storm came to a halt directly in front of it. Sean, seeing his chance to succeed where his predecessor had failed, made a leap for the doe. Storm hopped out of the way just before impact. Sean hit head-on with the barrel and like before spilled the contents out. Halfway submerged in the yellow grain, Sean tried his best to stand but soon found himself unable to.  
The flock had swooped over to him and was feasting. The Labrador and the spilled grain were no longer visible under the sea of white bodies. Every so often cries of pain could be heard among the angry clucks and squawks. Digger had luckily leapt back before the mass engulfed his companion. He stood in mild-shock as his friend was peck apart by the greedy chickens.  
But the clever rabbit was escaping. Digger left his friend to fend for himself as he went after the prey. By this time Storm had another idea formed in her head. She wiggled under the fence of the grunting monster and, though it was a tight squeeze, Digger was able to do so as well.  
And like before Storm came to a stand-still. She stood before the muddle puddle ready to attack. Digger had learned from his friend's mistake. He stopped as soon as she did to prevent running into anything. Now, she was all his. He couldn't help but find the rabbit's fighting stance hilarious. He smirked as he himself readied to attack, just daring her to try something.  
And she did. She turned about and sank her teeth into a small patch of pink that stood out against the brown. There was a deafening squeal and Storm raced out of sight. Digger had no time to follow. The pig jumped up from the wallow, shaking himself wildly. When the thrashing had subsided the pig looked for his attacker. He glanced down from his bleeding leg to the terrified mutt and charged screaming in rage.  
Storm was watching it all from a distance. The Labrador was still covered with hungry hens, the mutt was running wildly about the pen trying to escape the wrath of the monster, and in the background Waggle's frantic cries for help could be heard. With a triumphant look in her eyes Storm made her way out of the farm and back to the warren.  
  
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Chestnut-rah sighed heavily as he surveyed the damage done to the warren. The main entrance was far too big to offer any protection and some of the surrounding burrows had been dug out. Not to mention the fact that there were some holes in the roof.  
  
"We're going to have to start repairing the warren immediately." He said to the rest.  
  
Apple, noticing his chief's worried look, said brightly, "Don't worry. The does will patch things up around here."  
  
"What do you mean by 'the does will patch things up around here'? You're helping too!" Said and annoyed Deep Water from the corner.  
  
"We shouldn't even start anything until we know if the dog will be coming back." Snowfoot pointed out, looking over at Bramble in sympathy.  
  
"Of course he isn't coming back!" snapped Bramble, "What sort of a question is that? I know Storm has not failed us."  
  
The others cast their eyes downward and Chestnut-rah gently pointed out, "Bramble, its been a long time since she left. .She probably isn't even alive anymore."  
  
Bramble looked upon him in hatred for that remark. "My mate," he said acidly, "Is not dead. She is alive and well. Even though that dog was ten times the size of her and blood thirsty, I know that she has accomplished her mission. And if I hear one more of you say that she isn't coming back I'm going to--"  
  
"I did it!" cried Storm in joy as she jumped down into the burrow. She bounced about happily as the others looked on in astonishment, "You would have been so proud of me! Captain Apple, you should have seen what I did to that dog, and the other two for that matter!"  
  
"Oh my! You're back!"  
  
"We were so worried, we thought you had died!"  
  
"Yeah, you were gone for so long that we thought.well, you know."  
  
"I can't believe you didn't mess that up!"  
  
"I told you to have faith in her!"  
  
"Wait, two dogs? Where did they come from?"  
  
"You took care of them all by yourself!?" "That's impossible!"  
  
"Well, apparently it's not!"  
  
"Come on Storm, tell us what happened!"  
  
"Yeah, tell us everything that happened!"  
  
"Alright, well, it happened like this."  
  
And so, Storm began to spin the tale of how she out-smarted not one but three of the farmer's dogs. The Great Oak rabbits sat silently in awe, hanging on to every word that she said. Once completed, the others, being impressed by her cunning and ashamed at their lack of fate, handed over the flayrah from the morning's raid to her and begged for the story to be told over again. Storm was more then happy to oblige.  
  
____________________  
  
Of Things To Come  
  
Ember: Greetings readers of the author lady's fanfiction. The nice author lady gives you her thanks.  
  
Author: *From way in the background* Yes, thank you for reading!  
  
Ember: *Clears throat* The author lady said it was my turn to give you a "preview". She's even letting me present it in poem form! :) So, here it goes: The next installment is entitled "The Den of Blood Fang"  
  
"Whisked away by a mournful howl.  
To a den where the grey wolves' prowl.  
For a chance to become something their not.  
Sacrifices are what are sought." 


End file.
